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Shin Hanga prints

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	Design:	Tsuchiya Kōitsu (1870-1949)
	Title:	Matsushima
	Size:	25.7 x 17.8 cm (chūban)
	Posthumous printing from the original woodblocks
	Photography:	Jacques Commandeur

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Enlargement

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Print title in the bottom left-hand corner of the print era:

Character	Reading	Meaning	Translation
松	matsu	pine
島	shima	island	Matsushima

Followed by the artist’s name, together with a red Shin seal:

in which the three kanji read:

Character	Reading	Meaning	Translation
光	kō	light
逸	itsu	diverge	Kōitsu
真	shin	true	true

Original publishing date in right margin:

Character	Reading	Meaning	Translation
昭	shō	clear
和	wa	peace
十	jū	ten
一	ichi	one	Made in
年	nen	year	the Shōwa era,
一	ichi	one	the 11th year,
月	gatsu	month	the 1st month
作	saku	make	(i.e., January 1936)

Embossed names of the current and original publisher, and names of the original carver and current printer in left margin:

Character	Reading	Meaning	Translation
浅	asa	shallow
草	kusa	grass	Asakusa
木	moku	wood
版	han	block
館	kan	building	Mokuhankan
土	do	earth
井	i	a well	Doi
版	han	printing block
画	ga	picture
店	ten	shop	Hangaten
彫	hori	carver
ハ	ha
ラ	ra
ダ	da		Carver: Harada
摺	suri	printer
大	ō	large
橋	hashi	bridge	Printer: Ōhashi

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Here is a picture I was able to take of the same spot while visiting Japan in October 2019 (click to enlarge):

Current-day Matsushima Godaidō hall

How this print was made is illustrated in a set of three videos made by David Bull, starting off with this one shown on YouTube here.

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References

• Ross Walker’s Kōitsu website

• Walker, Ross, and Doi, Toshikazu (2008). The Catalogue Raisonné of Tsuchiya Koitsu. Meiji to Shin-Hanga, Watercolours to Woodblocks. Otsu City, Shiga, Japan: Ohmi Gallery Publishing.

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Provenance: Mokuhankan